Writing Variables Central Idea-your theme, your message, your point Form-short story, poem, news article, essay, memoir, letter, speech Audience-peers, children, adults, parents, teachers, public, business people, Purpose-to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to acknowledge, Context- in a classroom presentation, at city hall, read in a newspaper, at the student council meeting
You must be able to explain some connections amongst these variables.
For example:
A news article (form) that you will put in the school (audience) newsletter (context), on a car accident caused by teens drinking and driving (central idea). The reason you chose to write a news article for your peers is because it is easier for them to read it than for you to talk about it to their face. It is a personal experience that has affected the whole school population and you see some of your peers are still doing it. The newsletter is popular and all the students read it so you will reach the most kids that way. Also, a news article is more appropriate for your peers because it is factual and not a lecture from you. You are writing about drinking and driving (central idea) to persuade (purpose) your peers not to do it anymore. This is not the first such accident and, despite the devastation already, some still need persuading to stop this behaviour.
Here are some questions that might help your thinking and connecting process:
1. In what ways do the age, ability, and experience of the audience affect the choice of form? 2. What aspects of context (when and where the text will be experienced by the audience) make it relevant and timely for the audience? 3. How might the audience react to the central idea—would they be in favour of, neutral about, or opposed to this idea?
Practice: Try to connect the variables in: Night by Elie Weisel “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Shakespeare (remember it is a play, not a novel) “Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury “With My Own Two Hands” by Ben Harper OR “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer
Writing:
Pre-writing includes determining your variables. It will help you focus, stay on task, and achieve your purpose in a much clearer way.
After you have generated some ideas about a writing topic, you must decide what you will say about your chosen topic. You must consider the purpose, audience, form, and context, and maybe even point of view, because these elements have implications for both the planning and the drafting of the written product. Here's a common organizational tool for writers:
To consider purpose: Writers write to express ideas, feelings, emotions, and opinions, and students must ask themselves, "What is my purpose for writing this piece?" Some purposes for student writing are:
to express personal feelings or viewpoints
to imagine "What if ...?"
to narrate
to entertain and/or amuse
to describe
to inform or explain
to persuade or convince
to request
to inquire or question
to explore and experiment with ideas and formats
to clarify thinking.
To consider audience: Writers must consider who they are writing for and students must ask themselves, "Who is my intended audience?" Some possible audiences are:
familiar, known audiences: self, friends, peers, family, teachers
extended, known audiences: community, student body, local media
extended, unknown audiences: wider range of media and other publications
To consider format: Students will use audience and purpose to determine format and genre. They will have the opportunity to write in a variety of narrative, descriptive, expository, and poetic formats such as:
advertisement
article
advice column
autobiography/biography
research paper.
comic strip
letter of complaint/request/inquiry
campaign speech
diary/journal
readers theatre/role play/monologue
book review
report/essay
fable/fairy tale
greeting card
short story
directions
sports column
interview
obituary/eulogy
news article/editorial
poem/song
anecdote/personal experience story
To consider context: Once you have determined purpose, audience and format, the context will usually just be common sense.
To consider point of view: Ask yourself, "Who is telling this story/describing the events?" Where is the narrator in relation to the action? What emotional involvement does the narrator have in relation to the situation? Who is the narrator of the story? (The narrator may take a first person, third person, or an all-knowing omniscient point of view.)
Besides the Writing Variables, you will also practice the following and be expected to use them in an exam situation. Writing Process Procedures
pre-writing activities
writing rough drafts
self-reflection
participating in writing groups
revising and editing final drafts
sharing and publishing.
Literary Elements and Devices
plot
characters
main idea/theme
setting
narrative hook
point of view
flashbacks
foreshadowing
comparisons (e.g., analogies, metaphors, similes)
personification
alliteration
rhyme and repetition.
Language Conventions and Mechanics
writing sentences
varying sentence structure (adding, deleting, substituting, moving, and combining)
writing opening and concluding paragraphs
writing descriptive paragraphs
punctuating items in a series
using the apostrophe
choosing titles
punctuating dialogue
selecting appropriate words (e.g., to show fear, suspense, bravery, or other characteristics).
Central Idea-your theme, your message, your point
Form-short story, poem, news article, essay, memoir, letter, speech
Audience-peers, children, adults, parents, teachers, public, business people,
Purpose-to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to acknowledge,
Context- in a classroom presentation, at city hall, read in a newspaper, at the student council meeting
Writing Variable Prezi
You must be able to explain some connections amongst these variables.
For example:
A news article (form) that you will put in the school (audience) newsletter (context), on a car accident caused by teens drinking and driving (central idea). The reason you chose to write a news article for your peers is because it is easier for them to read it than for you to talk about it to their face. It is a personal experience that has affected the whole school population and you see some of your peers are still doing it. The newsletter is popular and all the students read it so you will reach the most kids that way. Also, a news article is more appropriate for your peers because it is factual and not a lecture from you. You are writing about drinking and driving (central idea) to persuade (purpose) your peers not to do it anymore. This is not the first such accident and, despite the devastation already, some still need persuading to stop this behaviour.
Here are some questions that might help your thinking and connecting process:
1. In what ways do the age, ability, and experience of the audience affect the choice of
form?
2. What aspects of context (when and where the text will be experienced by the
audience) make it relevant and timely for the audience?
3. How might the audience react to the central idea—would they be in favour of,
neutral about, or opposed to this idea?
Practice: Try to connect the variables in:
Night by Elie Weisel
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Shakespeare (remember it is a play, not a novel)
“Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
“With My Own Two Hands” by Ben Harper OR “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer
Writing:
Pre-writing includes determining your variables. It will help you focus, stay on task, and achieve your purpose in a much clearer way.After you have generated some ideas about a writing topic, you must decide what you will say about your chosen topic. You must consider the purpose, audience, form, and context, and maybe even point of view, because these elements have implications for both the planning and the drafting of the written product.
Here's a common organizational tool for writers:
To consider purpose:
Writers write to express ideas, feelings, emotions, and opinions, and students must ask themselves, "What is my purpose for writing this piece?" Some purposes for student writing are:
To consider audience:
Writers must consider who they are writing for and students must ask themselves, "Who is my intended audience?" Some possible audiences are:
To consider format:
Students will use audience and purpose to determine format and genre. They will have the opportunity to write in a variety of narrative, descriptive, expository, and poetic formats such as:
To consider context:
Once you have determined purpose, audience and format, the context will usually just be common sense.
To consider point of view:
Ask yourself, "Who is telling this story/describing the events?"
Where is the narrator in relation to the action? What emotional involvement does the narrator have in relation to the situation? Who is the narrator of the story? (The narrator may take a first person, third person, or an all-knowing omniscient point of view.)
Besides the Writing Variables, you will also practice the following and be expected to use them in an exam situation.
Writing Process Procedures
Literary Elements and Devices
Language Conventions and Mechanics